I'm Latching On To You
by FourtrisEverlarkHOANeddie
Summary: Everlark one-shot based on "Latch" by Sam Smith


Disclaimer- I don't own the Hunger Games, Suzzane does. Or Latch by SAM SMITH

 _"You lift my heart up when the rest of me is down"_

Katniss sobs. Sobs for everyone, there are only a handful of people that stuck around after the war, who actually had enough patience to put up with her.

Curled up in a ball, in the corner of her and Peeta's bedroom. Cato. Thresh. Cinna. Finnick. Seneca Crane. Boggs. Victors. Citizens. Rue. Prim. These people all have one thing in common. They all died because of her weather she killed them directly or not. It's so hard living with the guilt.

Katniss is so lost in her thoughts She don't realize she is pulling up patches of the carpeting until Feeling a big calloused hand curl around hers and gently massage her bald fists open.

"Katniss" the deep voice says as she is pulled into his lap. One hand strokes her hair, while the other is protectively wrapped around her waist.

"I know it hurts now, we have all been through a lot but it gets better, remember what Dr. Aurelius said, time is the best medicine, okay?" Peeta says. Katniss nod slowly, starting to believe him.

"Okay," Katniss finally say. Peeta lifts her up bridal style and carries her down stairs to the couch, her head in the crook of his neck.

"I love you" Katniss mumble.

"I love you too" Peeta says kissing her forehead.

"You, you enchant me even when you're not around"

"I miss you" Katniss says over FaceTime, Peeta was holding a tablet in his hands, reclined in the big brown plush leather chair, of his hotel room, in The Ritz London, his stupid demanding, high-maintenance job had sent him out on yet another business trio half way across the world, and of course he love seeing all these new places but it's not the same if Katniss isn't by his side.

"I miss you too, so much, but I only 2 more days then I'll be home for the next 5 years minimum promise!" He says with a chuckle. She laughs lightly before saying with a sad smile,

"You shouldn't make promises you can't keep"

"I'm sorry, sweetheart" he says. Ever since he got this new job to make more money since they had a baby on the way it feels like he sees his office more than he sees his own home.

"I know, you've gotta do, what you've gotta do, but I will talk to you tomorrow, I told Jo and Prim I'd help them pick out Prim's color scheme for he new apartment, so I gotta go, I love you" she gave him a smile and a wave blowing a kiss.

"Love you too" Peeta said pretending to catch the kiss, holding it to his heart."Bye" he says before pressing the end button. He and Katniss had graduated from NYU 8 years ago, four years later Peeta proposed, and now have a baby on the way, which is due any day now. Peeta throws his head back and sighs, running his hand over his face.

It's then that Finnick, his best friend and roommate for this trip -and pretty much all trips-walks out the bathroom.

"Hey, didn't know you were here" Peeta says tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah I walked in when you were talking to Kat decided it way better to give you two some privacy" he said. Peeta giving a grateful smile in return.

"So how you holding up" Odair asks the blond.

"Can't wait to go back home, Katniss is being really awesome and strong about all of this, even though I know it's really frustrating for her" he says "and for me" he adds. Looking over at the picture of Katniss he takes whenever those two are apart for more than two days, like the picture of her as his wallpaper isn't enough. Even though Finnick and the guys at the job tease him all the time for being totally whipped he doesn't care.

" Well, I can't imagine considering you too are still in the honeymoon phase after like -what? 10 years. It just amazes me how two polar opposites are soul mates"

"Yeah, well she's something special" he says

"If there are boundaries I will try and knock them down"

"Kat, where are you going!?" Peeta says speed walking out the house, going after her.

"Out" Katniss said stiffly, it was remarkable how she take one simple word and pack it with so much venom.

"Can we please just talk about this?!" Peeta scoffs, stopping.

"There's nothing to talk about" Katniss said not even glancing behind her.

"Well, then if your upset about this then lets work it out" Peeta said running to stand in front of her holding his hands out cautiously, in a desperate attempt to stop her.

"No there's nothing to work out, I really just wanna be left alone" Katniss says trying to walk past him, unsuccessfully.

"No we need to talk about this" Peeta says grabbing her forearms gently but firmly, holding it up to their faces.

Fortunately, Peeta had been with her long enough to know how to handle her tantrums, first she denies there is something upsetting her, then she gets annoyed/angry , which is the current stage, then she gets sad, crystal on occasions and based on her facial expression it looks like she can burst into tears at any moment, then her body goes limp which means that she gives up.

"Come on, Kat please talk to me" he says still holding her at arms length, slowly trying to bring her closer to him.

"No, no, please Peeta just let me go, I just wanna be alone!" She thrashes around for a while yelling pleads which turn into sobs, all the while Peeta looks calm and collected, with sadness in his eyes. He doesn't like watching Katniss cry it masks his heart break. Yet he is working on subtly entwining their hands.

"Please I just wanna be alone! Please!..."I just*sob* *sob* wan...alone" she cries for a little longer before giving in to Peeta's embrace, letting him pull her into his chest.

5,4,3,2,1...Katniss knees give way, and when they do strong arms are there to catch her.

"Can we talk about it now?" Peeta asks softly. Katniss nods in response.

 _"I'm latching on babe,_

 _now I know what I have found_

 _I feel we're close enough_

 _Could I lock in your love?_

 _I feel we're close enough_

 _Could I lock in your love?"_

And the prom queen is...drumroll please" says, it's senior prom, the last dance before they all graduate and go there separate ways, well, some people like, Katniss, Johanna, Peeta, Finnick, and Annie are going to the same college, NYU. While Gale and Madge are off to UCLA together. It was Peeta's last chance to admit his feelings for her before everything changes, before they get swamped in worked, and she started looking at college guys, so he's gonna do it, tonight. No backing out this time.

"Katniss Everdeen!" Ms. Trinket shouts with glee, he just knew she would win, there group was pretty popular after all, they were the most liked group of seniors. She went up there to accept her crown, with a big small and a small wave of her hand, a princess wave, the wave that matches her floor-length one shoulder, dark green prom dress, with silver and gold jewels around the middle and shoulder, she has worn 5-inch. Silver platform heels. She looks stunning, the two best friends, Katniss and Peeta came together but just as friends, sadly. But not for long, hopefully.

"And prom king goes to..." Mr. Abernathy says after the applause dies down, slowly trailing off, leaving the crowd on the edge if there seats.

Peeta was in competing for prom king, Katniss didn't see how he couldn't win. He's literally the sweetest thing on earth, nicer than Delly Cartwright, who wouldn't hurt a fly. Unlike Cato who's running against Peeta, who practically scared people into voting for him. he's probably one of the most amazing people Katniss-Peeta, not Cato-has ever met. He's truly a diamond in the rough. She crosses her fingers behind her back as she stands on stage praying, it's Peeta who wins.

"Peeta Mellark!"

Everyone cheers and whistles, especially Katniss from her spot on the stage, looking as if she wanted to jump up and down.

When Peeta went to accept his crown he took Katniss' hand and smiled as he said

"May I have this dance?"

She smiled sweetly and accepted, not knowing the gears in his head were turning. This was his chance to tell her, now or never, and he was not going to back pedal now.

They stepped into the middle of the dance floor, Katniss head resting on his shoulder as they swayed to the slow love song.

He took a deep breathe and whispered in her ear

"I love you, I always have for a pretty long time now, as more than my best friend" he said stopping himself before he said anything that made him look any worse than he felt, convinced he was getting rejected tonight, and just might loose his best friend. This was so stupid, why hadn't he stopped himself, now it's too late.

Katniss stayed quiet for a while, before whispering a "finally" back to him.

What was he suppose to make of that?

Katniss' statements where usually very cryptic and vague and it was one of the things Peeta loved about her it made her more of a puzzle than she already was, it kept him thinking, just when he thought he had figured he out she went and surprised him once again, but now was really not the time, when he was internally freaking out. Katniss on the other hand looked completely calm and content, though she kept her face hidden behind her hair and in the crook of Peeta's neck, not wanting him to see her tomato red face.

After what felt like forever she looked up at him and said

"I love you too"

He leaned down and met her in the middle, smiling into the kiss, he actually did it!, he finally got Katniss Everdeen and he was never letting her go.

 _"Now I've got you in my space_

 _I won't let go of you_

 _Got you shackled in my embrace_

 _I'm latching on to you"_

"Daddy, can we put this in here?" Rosalie, Katniss and Peeta's 5 year old daughter asked running back from her room to join with the rest of her family, showing her dad the pacifier. Today was family fun day for the Mellarks. The day of the week-Saturday- that everyone looked forward to the most, Katniss and Peeta try to do this at least once a week so they have a whole day to spend with their children, and each other-and today they were adding to their time capsule. They did this particular activity once a year. Putting in stuff that meant something to them, but they no longer used, every year each person would add 2 things that they loved, but believed they no longer needed.

"Rosie, are you sure you wanna put binky in there?" Katniss asked from her place on the floor across from Peeta with their 2 1/2 year old son, Mason in her lap, both of their legs stretched out except Masons were much smaller and shorter.

Rosie hadn't used her binky since she was 20 months old but that didn't stop her from carry it around, no one knew why she carried it but she always had it in arms reach, maybe for comfort, she was a wreck when her parent tried to throw it away, so they let her keep it and didn't ask questions.

"Yes I'm sure, I think I'm ready to give it up" Rosie told her. Katniss smiled and nodded at the little girl.

"Can we daddy?" Rosie asked again looking down at her dad from where she stood next to him, even though she didn't have to look very low, they were practically the same height when he was sitting, even when Peeta slouched. Peeta could never say no to her giant blue doe-eyes. Rosie had been a daddy girl since she was inside her mother stomach. She'd always kick for Peeta , would stop crying when he picked her up, and loves helping him out at the bakery.

"Of course we can sweetheart" he said. With his approval Rosie kissed the binky and dropped it in. The pink binky dotted with flowers sat on top of everything they previously put in there. So far Katniss had put in their late cat buttercups collar, Peeta had put in his old locket that Effie had given him in the Quarter Quell, and Katniss and Peeta had agreed to put 2 of Masons old toys in, just three more things.

"Bye, binky" Rosie said softly, sitting down curling into her daddy's side.

"Remember, Rosie if you ever want binky back all you have to do I'd ask and we can switch it for something else, okay?" Peeta says.

"Okay" she says as Peeta kisses the top of her head.

"We'll I'm putting in this" Katniss said showing the family, but more importantly Peeta what she was finally ready to put in the box. She didn't know why she held on to it, probably because she wasn't fully ready to let go of her past and accept that they were okay now, but now she was. She was finally ready to give her family her full fledged un-denying attention instead of spacing out from time to time.

Peeta gave her a soft smile, mouthing "are you sure?". She nodded.

"What's that?" Rosie asked, as Mason grabbed it turning it in his hands, oblivious to how important it was.

"This is a very important pin, that you will learn about when your older, but for now don't worry about it" Peeta says gently reaching out to guide the pin away from his sons mouth.

/

AN-Everyone hates me because I haven't updated anything in forever, but I am so sorry I have had writers block and I am going through the high school process, and for some that isn't so hard but when you live in New York there are test,essays, interviews, etc. and it's so competitive so I'm extremely busy, but I swear once everything is over, more stories are coming thanks for everyone who reads this and has stood by you !

-Mckayla

P.S if their are any song prompt you guys want me to do just let me know


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